Choux pastry is a versatile French pastry made from butter, flour, water, and egg that can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. It’s easy to make and can be shaped into various forms, including the famous swan shape. It’s commonly used for desserts like cream puffs and beignets, but can also be filled with savory ingredients like fish mousse or chicken salad. The pastry should be filled at the last possible moment to avoid sogginess.
Choux pastry is a light pastry that is best known when used for a shell to make desserts such as cream puffs and cream puffs. It’s a simple thing to do since it doesn’t require the same deft hand as making pie crust or puff pastry. Choux pastry is also unusual in that the ingredients are actually cooked on the stovetop before being cooked in the oven.
The ingredients of the choux pastry are quite simple. In general, choux is just a mix of butter, flour, water and egg. The butter is melted, the flour is added and the eggs and water are whisked together over low heat. After the choux is combined, it can be dropped onto pans or piped over them to create special shapes. The French are known for their beautiful swan-shaped choux pastries, often served at the end of several-course meals in fine restaurants. Choux can also be used to make beignets or other fried desserts such as funnel cakes.
When the choux pastry is cooked, it’s golden brown on the outside, but it’s a little moist inside, similar in taste and texture to scrambled eggs. Those planning to fill the choux shapes can hollow out the inner layer to make more space for the filling. Alternatively, some people simply poke a hole in one end of a pastry and pipe ingredients such as whipped cream or custard into the pastry. Cooks can get more into the pastry by cutting it in half, removing the insides, and then stuffing it.
Many desserts have arisen since the invention of choux pastry in the 16th century. Italian desserts make considerable use of it. A St. Honore Cake is a rum-soaked cake that is surrounded by individual puffs, made with choux pastry. Cream puffs can also be stacked in the Italian tradition, forming a pyramid shape, and then have chocolate poured over them.
Choux pastry is not only useful for dessert. Cooks can fill the choux with wonderful vegetable or fish mousse, chicken salad or a variety of other savory treats. Cooks should make sure to fill the choux at the last possible moment if using ingredients with a lot of moisture to avoid a soggy pastry. The outer shell of the choux should remain crunchy and will quickly lose its freshness if kept in the refrigerator for too long or filled with threatening ingredients.
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